Shakespear Regional Park will reopen to the public on 1 December, following a five-month closure for animal pest eradication.
You will be able to book summer camping and picnic sites at Shakespear from 6 September.
The first stage of animal pest eradication has been completed successfully and the team is now hard at work checking to see if any pests remain.
“We continue to sweep the park, monitor for pest activity and remove animal carcasses where appropriate,” says Open Sanctuary Coordinator Matt Maitland.
Councillor Sandra Coney, chair of the Auckland Council’s Parks, Recreation and Heritage Forum, acknowledges the support and assistance of many groups in creating an open sanctuary at Shakespear.
“We still have a lot of work ahead of us to make the park completely pest free and a safe haven for treasured native species, but we couldn’t have got to this point without the support of our partners, our neighbours, the Shakespear Open Sanctuary Society (SOSSI) and the park volunteers,” she says.
Bookings for picnic and campsites from 1 December onwards will be taken from Tuesday 6 September. Call Auckland Council on 09 301 0101 to make a booking or inquiry, or go to regional parks for information and to check availability of the Shakespear sites.
Preparing for an open sanctuary at Shakespear:
- Dog walkers using designated Army and Okoromai Bay areas are advised to keep dogs under control at all times as there may still be poisoned carcasses found in this area.
- Samples of seafood taken before and after the operation are being tested and the public will be notified when the all-clear is given. In the meantime, please observe the signs.
- Once the park reopens, access will be via an automatic gate in the 7.5km pest-proof fence. Please be vigilant about not bringing pests into the sanctuary in vehicles or equipment.
- All the things people are used to doing at Shakespear, like swimming, picnicking, walking, mountain biking and camping, will still be possible when the park reopens and becomes an open sanctuary.